Transposing key-board



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S. LINDBERG.

TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD.

No. 431,369. Patented Jul 1, 1890. .z

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} TRANSPOSING KEYBOARD. No. 431,369. Patented July 1, 1890.

' the regulator.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SVEN LINDBERG, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

TRANSPOSING KEY-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,369, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed November 16, 1889. Serial No. 330,622 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SVEN LINDBERG, of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmproiements in Piano and Organ Key- Roards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in movable key-boards for organs and pianos, said key-board having a sliding and partially rotary movement effected by means of suitable mechanism controlled by the performer. The object of the improvement is to enable the performer on the instrument provided with akey-board so constructed to produce the music in any lower or higher key than that in which the music is composed. This effect is attained by raising the key-board above the small upright levers or pegs by which the air-valves that give forth the music are opened,while at the same time the key-board is moved toward the right or left at the will of the operator by means of WVhen the key-board is lowered, it is held in position by means of the regulator-handle engaginga notch in the regulator-plate.

My invention further relates to certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described,

7 and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the key-board and part of the casing above the same broken away at one end to more fully show the construction of certain parts of the device. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on the line 3 y of Fig. 1 of an organ provided-with my attachment. Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation of the key-board and organ-casing, showing the key-board in its normal position; Fig. 3", a perspective view showing one end of the key-board. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line .2 z of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the regulator-arm and handle. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the key-board in its normal and shifted position resting on the upright levers, by which the air-valves that produce the music are opened and illustrates the manner in which the music is changed toahigher or lower note. Fig.7 is a plan view of akeyboard and casing for a piano provided with my improvements. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the lowest portion of the piano-action on which the keys act. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the key-board 011 line :20 a: of Fig. 7, showing the same inits normal position. Fig. 10 is a similar section showing the key-board in a raised position ready to be shifted to right or left, as desired. Fig. 11 is a plan view of easing with key-board removed, showing the rods on which key-board is pivoted and slides; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the rods, with its bearing and a portion of the keyboard frame pivoted in said rod.

The letter A designates the key-board having the usual keys A ,which rest on the valverods A that operate the air-valves of the organ.

B represents the casing of an organ or piano. To this casing at opposite ends are fixed rods 0 O, which are the pivots 011 which the keyboard frame turns, and also on whichitis moved sidewise, as hereinafter described. These rod are supported at one end by the end casin B at the' other or inner end by blocks D D, through which they pass. (Shown in Fig.1.) Loosely mounted on each rod 0 are the straps E. These straps are secured to the key-board frame A at its opposite ends.

Above the key-board frame at each end and under the end piece of casing 15 is placed a sliding block F, which is perforated at a a for the reception of pins G, projecting upward from the keyboard frame A Around the pins G are placed coiled springs G, which press the block upward against the casing, so as to admit of a free upward motion of the key-board when it is desired to raise the same. These springs help to force the key-board frame down when it has been released by the compound lever. A further object of these blocks, which slide in the grooves 12 in pieces B, is to fill up the opening between the easing and key-board when the latter is moved far to the right or left, as shown in Fig. 3.

G is a rod connecting the frame A with the block F, and plays in an opening 0 in the block. By means of this rod the frame A and block move together when the key-board is shifted. Attached to the top rail B of the ICO casing, about midway of its length, is what may be called an indicator or regulator plate ll, provided with an opening or slot 71, which has a series of notches 7L in its lower edge. (See Fig. 3.)

7L2 is an opening in the rail 1 correspondin g to slot 71 Behind the plate H in the rear of rail 13 is an arm I, bent at right angles around the back of the key-board and secured to the key-board frame at its back at the points i. This arm passes through a slot in the back rail B. Screwed into the front of the arm is a stem J, having a handle which passes through the indicator or regulator slot 71 The stem .T ordinarily lies in one of the notches 7a which may have the note-characters shown in Fig. 3 placed opposite to them on the plate.

Pivoted to the casin g under the key-board frame is a compound lever K L. The lever L is provided at its free end with a frictionroller I, which bears against the under side of the key-board frame. \Vhen it is desired to 1 aise the keyboard preliminary to shifting it the performer presses the lever K sidewise with his knee, which throws up lever L and raises the board, and handle-stem J is lifted out of its notch, so that by pushing on said handle the key-board can be shifted to either side, as desired, to raise or lower the tone of the music. By removing the pressure on the compound lever the key-board will drop, the stem J falling into the proper notch and be held in its shifted position.

The application of my invention to a piano may be described as follows: The rods 0 are located beneath the key-board and supported by the end casing B and blocks D, as shownin Figs. Tand 9. The key-board frame is loosely pivoted on rods 0 by means of its end bars A The regulator-handle J is attached to a bar or slot 1, which extends from end to end of the key-board and is secured thereto. Above the bars A and under the casings B at opposite ends of key-board are located the sliding blocks F, similar to those in the organ. The keys are shown in normal position in Fig. 0 with their rear ends touching the rods M, carried by a frame N, which forms the lowest portion of the piano-action. By pressing the compound lever K L the key-board frame is partly rotated on rods 0 and thus lifted sufficiently to raise the regulator-stem .l out of its notch. By means of the handle J the key-board can be moved to the desired point and held. there by chopung-lever L. By moving the regulator-handle one interval toward the left the music is given one-half tone lessthat is, in the next lower key. 3y moving it one interval to the rightthe music is given one-half tone higher that is, in the next higher key; and by an extension of the casing key-board and regulator-plate the music may be rendered in any key desired from a half-note to a full octave, although the key-board is manipulated in only one key-namely, that in which the music is composed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a musical instrument with valve-rods, a key-board, and frame, of a regulator-arm, a combined pivot and track for said key-board frame, levers for raising said kcyboard, and an indicatorplate provided with a locking device, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a key-board and frame, of rods forming a combined pivot and track for said key-board frame, a regulatorarm secured to said key-board frame and provided with a handle, an indicator-plate adapted to engage the handle of the arm and lock the key-board, a compound lever for raising the key-board casin g, end pieces, slidingblocks, and springs bearing on said blocks, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in an organ with a rectangular arm, of a handle for operating the arm, casing-rails provided with openings for passage of said arm and handle, and an indicator-plate provided with notches adapted to engage and hold the handle of arm, substantially as shown and described.

'7 The combination, with a pivoted and sliding key-board frame, of a compound lever raising said frame, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, of pivot and guiderods, with keyboard frame, pins secured to same, springs surrounding the pins, blocks connected to said key-board by means of rods and having recesses for said rods, and groove casing-pieces adapted to receive the blocks, for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I ai'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EVEN LINDBERG.

Witnesses:

Lnwis E. LING, S. R. GRIFFITH. 

